The present invention relates generally to footwear, and in particular, to a multilayered footwear insole having apertures and ribs sized, shaped, and positioned to provide desired areas of stiffness and flexibility.
To achieve desired comfort and support for the foot when using an article of footwear, designers often include an insole to conform to the shape and contours of the foot and provide structural support and cushioning. Prior art insoles have therefore included layers of foam material for cushioning and comfort, along with areas of more rigid material, for support.
In addition to more rigid materials, some prior art designs use structural features to increase stiffness of a shoe insole. For example, some designs use ridges, ribs, or grid systems to affect torsion resistance, rigidity, and stability.
For additional comfort, some prior art designs also include openings within an insert to promote air flow. The openings may include, for example, orifices and passageways passing through and within layers.
Although prior art insole designs may provide some measure of comfort and support for a foot, increasing the number or thickness of cushioning layers can compromise flexibility, resulting in an insole that is too stiff. Thus, there remains a need in the art for insoles that achieve a desired balance between cushioning and flexibility. In addition, there remains a need for insoles that effectively provide separate areas of cushioning and support to accommodate different portions of the foot.